Do you know what the ADA is? The ADA is the Americans with Disabilities Act, and it’s enforced to ensure that the public recognizes and enables the most mobility and ease of access for disabled individuals. You might ask what does this have to do with your business or your signage, and the answer is: a lot. How does it affect you? 

ADA-compliant signage means that everyone gets a chance to shop, eat, or play. 

ADA signage covers things like the directions to the handicapped stall in the restroom or access to a wheel chair ramp. What does it for the signs mean to be ADA compliant? Here are some examples. 

• *Characters must be visual and tactile, meaning that you must be able to see and touch them, within 0.8mm of the background. 
• *Characters must be duplicated in Braille on a separate sign. 
• *The font must be uppercase and Sans Serif – meaning nothing fancy or italics with hook bars, etc. 
• *The Character proportions must be correct, and can be found on the website for the ADA. 

Sign manufacturers should know what ADA signage would look like, and might have good ideas that would tailor to your business. Don’t forget that there are other regulations, so read up on the rules and know what you need. 

Braille Sign - Photo Credit: Roland DG Braille signs are most successful when mounted within reach using Sign Standoffs. Photo Credit: Roland DG 

ADA signage will keep your wallet fat. 

Making sure that your signs are falling under the category of ADA compliant signage is profitable for a couple of reasons. First, if you put the signs out, you’re offering an inviting environment for disabled individuals. Remember: Inviting environment = customers = $$. 

Second, if you don’t put signs out you could be fined if you fail an inspection. Fines can be expensive and nasty, so it’s best to protect yourself before you get started. 

So what do I need? 

It’s wise that your first move as a business owner is to talk to a sign manufacturer and tell them what you need. Once you have that portion complete, you are of course, going to need to hang it. You won’t need something that is too heavy and you won’t need to spend a whole lot of money – which is better for your profit margin as well. Then you’re going to need some kind of hanger, of which there are several kinds available. 

The Direct Sign Mounts are perfect for hanging your lightweight signs. These project signs out perpendicular from the wall and are an aluminum extrusion with set screws, and the sign blank fits inside a channel.  If you need hardware to secure a sign flush mounted to the wall, try our light duty cleat hangers. This is a hooking pair of metal brackets – one goes into the wall, the other screws into the sign, and then they hook onto one another to hang your sign. Remember that your project may require some drilling or adhesives so make sure that you have everything that’s necessary. 

Being ADA compliant is simpler that you would think, and it is more than profitable, it’s respectful.